The weather outside is frightful for photography it is quite delightful.

Let it Snow!!! Let it Snow!!! Let it Snow!!!

Winter photography can be challenging but it is worth the effort. Here are some tips to improve your winter photography.

Don’t Exposure Camera equipment to Extreme Temperature Changes. Condensation is a major problem for camera equipment. Electronics and moisture don’t mix well. The good news is that the moisture will eventually evaporate if the equipment is allowed to warm up to room temperature, but it can take a long time.

I keep my camera in its bag before going indoors or outside. The bag insulates the gear a little from extreme temperature changes. When I return home I just leave my gear in the camera bag and make sure I don’t open the bag for at least one hour.

I also keep my car cold. It minimizes condensation. It also seems like less of a shock from going out of the warm vehicle to the cold. If you take off you gloves and coat, crank the heat, you will find it tempting not to even get out of the car and take a picture.

Keep batteries warm. Your camera will work fine in very cold temperatures as long as it has functioning batteries. Batteries drain quicker with cold weather. When I do a winter shoot I often bring several sets of batteries which are charged daily. Certain types of batteries perform better than others in the cold. I keep extra batteries in a pocket inside my jacket where I can keep them warm. Sometimes I put a chemical hand warmer in that pocket also. I often rotate the batteries between my camera and my warm pocket.

Tripods: Avoid touching a cold tripod with you bare hands. Some people use tripod leg warmers to help with this problem. Several manufactures make tripod leg warmers. You can also use plumber’s pipe insulation for the tripod legs. For less than five bucks you can make your own tripod leg covers from foam pipe insulation and hockey tape (the best tape to use ’cause it can handle the cold). Be careful not to force your tripod into the snow. You can damage you tripod.

A Lens hood can help to prevent problems with snow on the front element of a lens from falling or blowing snow.

Hand Warmers are easy to use, they start warming the instant you open the package. You can keep some in your boots, gloves, and coast pockets. I keep one stuffed in each glove or mitten, and this way my gloves are always warm when I put them back on.

Exposure: don’t blow out the whites. The camera will want to make the snow a neutral gray color which is a problem. Learn to read the histogram and you will find exposing the snow properly is very easy.

Get out early. Winter landscape photography looks best with fresh snow on the branches. It is best to be out there before it melts or gets blown off the branches.

Take extra precautions. Let other know of you travel plans in event of an emergency. Bring emergency supplies with you on your adventures.

You can add interest and color to snow shots simply by including a colorful object or two in your composition.

Fly to Florida. If you need a break from the cold you can’t beat Florida. It is warm and incredibly beautiful. The wildlife photography is incredible. Winter is the dry season in Florida. Since there is less water the wildlife concentrates into smaller areas which make it a wildlife photographer’s paradise.

Some of my favorite photo opportunities are during winter. Don’t let the cold keep you inside. Get out and enjoy.

Join us as we photograph several great locations throughout New England.

Currently we have 5 trips planned.

They will come back with some great pictures and have fun.

Southern Maine Coast Photo Tour:December 1, 2013

Photograph winter landscapes along the beautiful Maine Coast. The day will begin with sunrise shoot. We will photograph the dramatic rocky coastline, pounding surf, lighthouses, fishing harbors, lobster boats etc.

Mid Day we will take a well deserved break at a warm restaurant then back out to continue our photo adventure. We will conclude with sunset at Nubble Light which will be lit up with Holiday lights.

Plum Island MA-NH Coastline Photo Tour: January 12, 2013

Join us on a photo tour as we photograph the Massachusetts and NH Coastline. We will visit several areas looking for local wildlife and beautiful landscapes. We will be out from sunrise to sunset with a mid day break for lunch.

The day will begin with sunrise shoot at Plum Island NWR. We will work our way to Salisbury Beach and head north along the 18 mile NH Coastline. I will also be looking for beautiful landscapes and winter wildlife like Bald Eagles, Seals, Snowy Owls, and anything else we come across.

Quabbin Reservoir (Massachusetts) Photo Tour: March 23, 2013

Located in central Massachusetts, It was built in the 1930′s to provide clean drinking water for the Boston region. Over 2500 people in the towns of Dana, Enfield, Greenwich, and Prescottsections of seven other towns were forced to give up their homes in the Swift River Valleyto make this project possible.

Today, Quabbin is recognized as one of the largest drinking-water reservoirs in the world, a remarkable feat of engineering, an “accidental wilderness” that is home to an impressive variety of wildlife, and a wonderful place to explore winter landscapes. Join us as we hike into Quabbin Reservoir to experience the beauty of the wilderness and diversity of life and habitats.

Note: In the event of a snow storm this tour will be cancelled and participants will be issued a full refund.

NH and Southern Maine Coastline Photo Tour: March 30, 2013

Join us on a photo tour as we photograph theMaineand New Hampshire Coastline. We will visit several areas looking for local wildlife and coastal landscapes. We will photograph from sunrise to sunset with a mid day break for lunch.

We will head north along the 18 mile NH Coastline and intoSouthern Maine. The dramatic rocky coastline, pounding surf, lighthouses, fishing harbors, lobster boats etc provides us with unlimited subjects to photograph. I will also be looking for winter wildlife like Bald Eagles, Seals, Snowy Owls, and any other wildlife we come across

Newport (Rhode Island) Photo Tour: May 4, 2013

This photo tour we will cover the beautiful hotspots of Newport, RI. We will photograph some of the many marinas, Fort Adams State Park, Newport Bridge, Goat Island, Ocean Drive, the Lighthouse, and many other Gems. This is a great time to visit Newportbefore the busy tourist season.

My June 2012 Acadia Trip Started out with a light drizzle then when we got away from the car it became pouring rain. This is not the way I wanted to start a photo tour. Fortunately we did a some nice photos.

The key to getting great waterfall pictures is timing. During the beginning of my Acadia Photo Tour it was raining hard so the next day we photographed a vernal waterfall. The next morning we went by the same waterfall and it was barely a trickle of water.

No matter how early or late the peak fall foliage is there is still many great pictures to take. Just walk or drive that extra mile. This year was one of my most challenging because of the record high temperatures which delayed the peak. We also had a lot of rainfall. I really got to thank my participants no one person complained and everyone made the best of the difficult conditions.

I just returned from leading my Moose Country Photo Workshop. It was a lot of pictures, laughs and most of all fun. The days were long with a 4:30am sunrise and a sun that set around 8:40pm.

Over the weekend we saw 12 moose, 4 white tailed deer, snowshoe hares, red fox, several species of birds, wildflowers. We also photographed Common Loons, a nesting Osprey and Common Mergansers.

Several of the local residents reported seeing less moose that usual this year. Some of the reasons include Tick Infestations, Late Spring, Heavy Snowfall, increased hunting pressure. We did manage to see 12 moose but we worked for it. I guess you can’t go wrong in the Northern Forest.

We also had two amazing sunrise shoots. The first one was at Lake Francis with the sun rising thru the morning fog and another at first Connecticut Lake. We also did a sidetrip to Rangeley where we photographed more Moose, Rangeley Lake, and Height of the Land. Other subjects included a waterfall which looked great with the recent rainfall.

We visited several locations throughout Northern New Hampshire and Maine. Many miles of both dirt and paved roads near the Canadian Border.

The participants in the group were wonderful people that I would definitely now call friends. You got to be a little crazy to get on location before the sun even rises and spend the weekend taking pictures deep in the heart of moose country. It is nice to know I am not the only crazy one.

Thank you for attending.

Next year’s trip will be June 15-18, 2012 and will include a platoon boat wildlife ride on Lake Umbagog.

FALL FOLIAGE: NEW HAMPSHIRE SEPT 30-OCT 2 and or OCT 3-5Join us as we travel to the beautiful White Mountains and Northern NH to photograph fall foliage. This is timed to see some of New England’s most beautiful places during the peak times. We will photograph mountains, rivers, waterfalls, wildlife, reflections, birch trees etc. The subject matter is endless at this wonderful time of year.